Shloka 13
भोजानीकेन शिष्टेन कलिकड्जारट्टबाह्लिकै: । कृतवर्मा वृतो राजन् प्रायात् सुजवनै्हयै:,राजन्! कृतवर्मा भी भोजवंशियोंकी अवशिष्ट सेना तथा कलिंग, अरट्ट और बाह्लिकोंकी विशाल वाहिनी साथ ले अत्यन्त वेगशाली घोड़ोंसे जुते हुए रथके द्वारा भाग निकला
bhojānīkena śiṣṭena kaliṅgāraṭṭabāhlikaiḥ | kṛtavarmā vṛto rājan prāyāt sujavanhayaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, Kṛtavarmā, surrounded by the remaining Bhoja troops and by the forces of the Kaliṅgas, the Araṭṭas, and the Bāhlikas, withdrew swiftly—fleeing in a chariot yoked with exceedingly fast horses. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the verse underscores the instinct for survival and tactical retreat amid collapse, contrasting personal preservation with the wider devastation and the responsibilities of warriors and allies.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethical tension: when an army collapses, a warrior may choose tactical withdrawal to preserve life and regroup, yet such flight also reflects the disintegration of collective duty and the heavy cost of adharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛtavarmā, accompanied by the remaining Bhoja soldiers and allied contingents (Kaliṅga, Araṭṭa, Bāhlika), departs rapidly in a chariot drawn by very swift horses—effectively escaping from the battlefield situation.